Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

[AguaSki]

This holiday weekend I plan to try teaching my kids and my nephew's how to water ski. All the kids are between age 4 and 6. These kids weigh between 37 and 65 pounds. I have read a lot of posts on teaching kids how to water ski and I think I have a good idea on how I will be approaching this. I have also purchased the latest equipment for training. My only question is on the proper tow speed for small children. I can't imagine that a child is towed at the same speed I tow an adult. I think the minimum planing speed for the skis is about right, but I don't know what that speed is. I am guessing, but I am not sure, that about 12-15 mph is about right. Any thoughts?

 

[Belchy]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Sounds almost a little fast. I know when I pulled my nephew, I used a 15hp 12 foot aluminium with a spotter, and it was enough to pull a kid that weighed about 50 pounds. The most important part of pulling a child is to SLOWLY start accelerating. They will pop out of the water before the boat even starts throwing a wake. <br /><br />My best advice is to try it as slow as possible, and having an adult in the water with the skier will be reassuring to a child.<br /><br />good luck<br /><br />Belchy

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

I taught all of mine starting from shallow water with a helper to get them situated correctly. <br /><br />As for speed it is a tough balance. Too slow and you are throwing a huge wake. I would try to keep it at the speed where it is just planing. YOu just have to be careful not to back off on speed too quickly as they will do a face plant.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Get your Smart Tabs installed before you go. That way you will be able to keep your speed down, bow down and your wake more acceptable. Your boat will not even know that they are on the rope. <br /><br />With kids that little and light I think the best possible world would be to start them out on a boat like Belchy described.

 

[paulie0735]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Slow is fine, I wouldn't worry too much about the wake, it won't be a problem until the kids are ready to venture out and over it. The first few minutes are critical so just fast enough to keep them on top of the water and a child as described above will only need about 5 mph to ski. When they gain confidence they will tell you to go faster and that’s when you can step it up a little and get the nose down so you can see while seated!! Remember it’s about the skiing not about how happy the boat or driver is while the kids are starting out. Good luck.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

i have taught probably 200 kinds to ski, over the years. i found that the first lesson is having them put the skis on, with an adult behind them to keep them from turning over. until they can learn to control the skis. skiing is easy compared to controlling the ski's when in the water. have them draw there knees up between their elbows (fetal position) this way the elbow help control the skis. Also teach them to turn loose the rope. My sister is 10 years younger, at age 5 was determine to ski. i drug her under water about 50 feet before i realized she hadn't turn loose. she got up the next try and has been skiing for 40 years.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Two comments from here.<br /><br />Insure their life jacket has a crotch strap so that they cannot slip out of the bottom of it; especially if using the molded rubber type....almost lost a daughter on that one.<br /><br />Then remember when you first started, there were 2 problems, balance and steering (foot control).<br /><br />If you had a small rig, like a 14' aluminum boat with a 25ish on it I think you could teach them easier. Put some weight up front (another person) and you can come on real easy....just a thought.<br /><br />I do remember one thing that the above may help. You need to get them out of the hole without too much delay, but once you do, you need to cut the throttle to keep from going too fast which puts slack in the line and throws them off balance. A small, light rig should reduce that.<br /><br />And when they graduate to the slalom, get them a 2 handlebar yoke so that they can get the tip if he ski between the handles on takeoff and balance the thrust. Nothing like trying to learn to slalom with a single handle.......but I did.<br /><br />HTH,<br /><br />Mark

 

[AguaSki]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Thanks for the replies.<br /><br />All life jackets have the croch strap. <br /><br />Also, my training tow rope has a handle on both ends. One for the child, and the other for an adult in the boat. If the child does forget to let go of the rope, the adult can release their end. I can't imagine training children with the rope attached to the back of the boat.<br /><br />Boomyal - The tabs have been installed for a few months now and working great. I think they will really help to have slower planing speeds to teach the kids how to ski.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

I like to start them on dry land. Get them in the skis, and give them the rope. SHow them the proper stance (knees bent, rope between legs, elbows outside knees etc), then pull them upright by hand with the rope. Repeat this several times till they are comfortable with the motion. Next step is the water like tashasdady describes. The most important thing will be to have patience.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

I've found it heaps easier to teach kids than adults! With my kids I used a bar across the front of the skis to stop them crossing or pulling apart.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

something i have also done, is in the swimming pool. we had a big back yard, 20 x40 pool. put them in the shallow end with the rope run to the deep end. adult on deep end take the rope and runs, pulling them. it give them the feel of what to expect.<br />edit: also just let them try about 3 times then time for a rest, it can be very exhasuting for them. and no matter how irritated you get don't show it, do yell at them. they want to do it and are already frustated, because they are having trouble.

 

[lorax]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Does anybody know of any safety issues associated with those bars across the front of the skis - like what Triton mentioned?<br /><br />They seem like a good idea but I've often wondered what happens when the kid takes a spill with that bar holding the two skis together.

 

[tommays]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

There useing life jackets for a reason and when we teach children or anybody we ALLWAYS have some extra people around just because you never know who will PANIC which is really the dangerous part<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[wildspeed]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

My daughter is 5 and start to water ski last year at 4.<br /><br />The little bar holding the front of the ski is very helpfull as the kids usually don't have enought strenght to hold the ski together.<br /><br />Like said before it is a good thing to practice in shallow water (without boat)for the kid to get the feeling.(you can pull the cord by hand along the shore)<br /><br />Another thing, the smaller boat you can get to teach them to ski the better it is, first if they are in the water the boat will not look "so big", second it will be much easier to control speed and pull.<br /><br />One more thing is to teach them next to the boat at first (instead of the long rope behind the boat). You can make your own boom with pvc or aluminium tube and when they fill confident add a little rope with andle to the boom so they get the feeling of using the rope and when they can do that, put them behind the boat.<br /><br />As for the speed 10mph is plenty for a 50lbs kid<br /><br />Of course it will take couple of days, don't try to do it all in 1 hour. and remember to tell them to "bend the knee"<br /><br />

<br /><br />copyright pictures <br />don't use without permission, thanks<br /><br />

 

[ksfloorcovering]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

Last Year I taught my 3 year old and 6 year old daughters on to ski on a trainer that looked like a horse shoe. Instead of two skis being tied together this was like two skis but completely connected. The ski rope ran from boat to trainer so children were not responsible for holding on. Instead a seperate rope came straight from the trainer for them to hold on to. A freind of mine stood in the water holding my children in the up position and I would go. The were standing up from the start. I thought this was a great way to first time ski.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Pulling Children On Training Water Skis

I totally agree with the pole approach as pictured. That gets them over their biggest problem....fore-aft balance...they have something solid to hold onto when they feel the slip coming, can stay up, and learn to deal with it, even though later on the rope and handle won't be there like that.<br /><br />Mark